Eurostar delays hit thousands after cable theft
Thousands of Eurostar passengers are facing widespread disruption today after a cable theft near Lille compounded delays already caused by two fatalities on the French high-speed rail line earlier this week.
These delays have landed on Glastonbury Festival weekend, with many passengers aiming to get to London today before the highly-anticipated festival begins.
The operator warned of “severe delays and last-minute cancellations” across its network, with London-Paris services worst affected.
The theft of 500 metres of copper cabling overnight has forced trains to divert via alternative routes, significantly extending journey times.
Eurostar confirmed that it is offering free rebookings or full refunds to affected travellers.
“We advise you to cancel or postpone your trip”, the company said in a post on social media platform X, adding that teams are on the ground at stations to assist passengers and distribute water on delayed trains.
The latest disruption follows two seperate fatalities on Tuesday on the LGV North high-speed line between Lille and Paris, which led to the closure of the route for several hours and widespread service cancellations.
A Eurostar spokesperson expressed condolences to the victims’ families, adding that Tuesday’s disruption left many trains and crew out of position, worsening delays into Wednesday.
Trains between London St Pancras and Paris Gare du Nord have been cancelled or delayed until at least 11.30am, with waiting times ranging from 40 minutes to two hours.
One affected passenger, Matt Bould, told the Independent he risked missing Glastonbury Festival after his train was cancelled for the second day in a row.
“There wasn’t a single flight out of Paris until the late evening for £250 and my coach to Glastonbury is leaving at 3pm from London”, he said.
Passengers have described scenes of “total chaos” at stations, with one traveller claiming their disabled niece was forced to sleep on the floor of Gare Du Nord after missing her train.
While services to Brussels and Amsterdam continue to operate, delays of up to 90 minutes have been reported too.
Eurostar said it is working to restore normal service as soon as possible.